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The differences between graduate engineers and planning engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a graduate engineer, becoming a planning engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a planning engineer has an average salary of $82,521, which is higher than the $70,395 average annual salary of a graduate engineer.
The top three skills for a graduate engineer include civil 3d, cost estimates and project management. The most important skills for a planning engineer are project management, infrastructure, and transmission planning.
| Graduate Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,395 | $82,521 |
| Hourly rate | $33.84 | $39.67 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 98,584 | 56,792 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A graduate engineer can work in different engineering subspecialties, such as mechanical, civil, chemical, aerospace, and electrical. Most graduate engineers work on projects while under the supervision and directives of a supervisor or senior engineer. Their duties usually involve identifying and understanding project requirements, conducting research and assessments, completing surveys, and preparing models using different tools and software. Additionally, a graduate engineer can also create designs and prototypes according to project requirements and guidelines, producing regular progress reports for supervisors.
A planning engineer is in charge of developing plans and systems to organize and schedule project procedures, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities revolve around learning and understanding the extent of all operations, setting schedules and objectives, liaising with external parties such as vendors or distributors, and maintaining an active communication line with other departments. Furthermore, a planning engineer must monitor the progress of the workflow and the performance of the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Graduate engineers and planning engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graduate Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,395 | $82,521 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $89,000 | Between $61,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a graduate engineer and a planning engineer in terms of educational background:
| Graduate Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Johns Hopkins University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between graduate engineers' and planning engineers' demographics:
| Graduate Engineer | Planning Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 24.9% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 4% |